Web splicer



Apri 1969 R. P. BARTHOLOMAY ETAL 3,440,126

WEB SPLICER Filed Feb. 28, 1966 Sheet of 2 ROBERT P BARTHOLOMAY W/L EUR 0. ROBINSON HAROL D J. FA RRAR INVENTOR5 BY. 06* C W i fyy A TTORNE Y5 April 1969 R. P. BARTHOLOMAY ETAL 3,

WEB SPLICER Sheet Filed Feb. 28, 1966 ROBERT P BARTHOLOMAY W/LBUI'? D. ROBINSON HAROLD J. FAR/TAR INVENTORS United States Patent Otfice 3,440,126 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 3,440,126 WEB SPLICER Robert P. Bartholomay and Wilbur D. Robinson, Rochester, N.Y., and Harold J. Farrar, Boulder, Colo., as-

signors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y.,

a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 530,528 Int. Cl. B31f /06 U.S. Cl. 156-505 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A splicing device for splicing the leading end of one roll to the trailing end of another by providing a pair of splice boards mountable in opposition to one another and operable when moved into pressure engagement to splice the leading and trailing ends of the webs together. The path of movement of the splice boards may be altered to permit either a front or a back splice.

This invention relates to a web splicer for splicing separate pieces of web material so as to form a continuous moving strip of sheet stock.

Web material for use as stock in manufacturing processes is normally provided in rolls of a predetermined length. In numerous manufacturing operations utilizing such web material, it is desirable to connect a new roll of the web material to an expiring roll to provide a continuous sheet without stopping or delaying unduly the process for which the sheet is being utilized. The device according to the present invention provides a means whereby such sheet material may be fed in a continuous manner and placed into operative position with no substantial interruption of the feeding of the material due to the splicing together of separate sheets. Numerous devices of this type have been proposed in the past but are characterized by the fact that they are often complex and employ numerous parts which must be carefully adjusted to permit proper functioning, greatly contributing to the unreliability thereof. In addition, such machines are normally capable of making only a front splice or a back splice or, alternatively, may be adjusted to perform a splice of either type only after extensive structural modifications to the machine itself resulting in the halt of production for inordinate lengths of time.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved web splicer of simple construction which may be simply and easily adjusted to provide either a front splice or a back splice without delaying unduly the manufacturing process involved.

This object has been attained in the present invention by providing a pair of splice boards mounted in opposition to one another which are operable to splice sheet web material and whose path of movement may be easily modified to permit either a front or a back splice.

Other objects, purposes, and characteristic features of the present invention will be obvious from the accompanying drawings and from the following description of the invention. In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified, schematic, frontal view of the present invention showing the position of the elements thereof prior to the actual splicing operation;

FIG. 2 is a simplified, schematic, frontal view of the splicing elements of the device according to FIG. 1 showing the position they assume just prior to the actual splicing operation and subsequent to the severing of the sheet material from the expiring roll.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional unwind station for web material is shown in schematic fashion with an unwind turret 1 which serves to support an expiring roll A of web material and a full roll B of such material, the rolls being rotatably mounted respectively on bobbin supports A and B in a customary fashion. During the manufacturing operation which utilizes the web material, the expiring roll A continually unwinds and the web material 2 travels over guide rollers 3 and 4 as its heads toward the manufacturing or treatment station (not shown).

The web splicer mechanism itself comprises a pair of opposed arms 5 and 6 which are rotatably journaled on a fixed spindle member 7 in any suitable fashion. Rotatably journaled on the outer ends of arms 5 and 6 are splice boards 8 and 9, respectively. Splice boards 8 and 9 are mounted in any suitable fashion so that they freely rotate about fixed pivot points 8" and 9' with respect to arms 5 and 6. Fixedly positioned closely adjacent splice boards 8 and 9 are cam blocks 10 and 11, respectively. As may readily be seen, cam blocks 10, 11 have two intersecting, open-faced cam channels 10', 10" and 11', 11", respectively, therein which are so dimensioned as to accommodate for free sliding movement inwardly extending (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) pin members 12, 13 which are fixedly attached to splice boards 8, 9. As illustrated, pin member 12 of splice board 8 is in lower channel 10' and pin member 13 of mounting board 9 is in upwardly extending channel 11" for the purpose which will be more fully explained below.

Fixedly positioned above cam blocks 10, 11 are brackets 14 and 15, respectively. Brackets 14, 15 provide pivotal support for cutting and taping boards 16 and 17, respectively. As may be seen, cutting and taping boards 16 and 17 are normally maintained in the position indicated in solid lines, i.e., the upper surfaces thereof are horizontal. Each cutting and taping board may, however, be pivoted as illustrated in phantom with respect to cutting and taping board 16. Any suitable detent means may be provided to hold cutting and taping boards 16 and 17 in their normal positions. Each cutting and taping board is provided with a knife of any suitable type, such as those indicated by reference numerals 18 and 19.

Splice boards 8, 9, which are of substantially identical construction, have two hollows conduits 21, 22 and 21', 22', respectively, disposed therein, each of which has a plurality of communicating air lines associated therewith extending to their respective outer clamping surfaces in the manner shown. Hollow conduits 21, 22, 21, 22' are each connected to a suitable vacuum source for the purpose which will be more fully brought out below. A suitable valve arrangement (not shown) may be utilized to selectively establish contact between the separate conduits and the vacuum source.

The operation of the device will now be described. Assuming now that the manufacturing operation which utilizes the web material is in progress and the sheet web 2 from expiring roll A is in continual movement past guides 3, 4 in the direction of the arrow, the operator prepares for the splicing operation by transporting the free end of the sheet web material from full roll B, bringing it around rounded portion 16a, and laying it on the cutting and taping board 16. The web end is then manually smoothed out against the upper cutting and taping board surface. Any suitable means such as a vacuum hold-down arrangement may be used to maintain the web end in position.

The web end is then trimmed, preferably at an angle, by the operator. Trimming may be accomplished by means of any sharp instrument such as an operator held hand knife. In the present embodiment, however, a sliding knife 18 is illustrated which is disposed for movement across the width of the web material in a guide slot in the upper cutting and taping board surface. A length of pressure-sensitive tape (not shown) is then applied by hand or with an applicator to the trimmed web end, allowing the desired overlap in a well known manner, with the adhesive side of the tape to the cutting and taping board.

Upon preparation of the end of the web material in the manner just described, cutting and taping board 16 is pivoted to the position indicated in phantom in FIG. 1. It may be seen that when the cutting and taping board is in such position rounded portion 16a thereof contacts a cooperating receiving notch on splice board 8 to properly position same. The end of the web material (with the tape applied thereto) is then manually stripped from cutting and taping board 16 and transferred to the surface of splice board 8 in a manner shown. The web material is then manually smoothed on the upper surface of splice board 8 with the adhesive side of the tape turned up. Cutting and taping board 16 is then returned to the position indicated in solid lines in FIG. 1. Through a suitable valve arrangement (not shown) communication is established between conduits 21', 22' and a vacuum source to maintain the web material on splice board 8.

As the amount of web material on expiring roll A is gradually depleted in the course of the manufacturing process, an end detector or predetermining counter of a conventional type may be utilized to initiate the splicing operation. As the end of the expiring roll is reached, the end detector or counter signal actuates a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) or any other suitable mechanism to pivot opposed arms 5, 6 in a downward direction about fixed spindle member 7. As arm rotates in a downward direction, splice board 8 will pivot in a clockwise direction about pivot point 8 due to the fact that pin member 12 is in lower cam channel As arms 5, 6 approach the lowermost extent of their downward movement, splice boards 8, 9 will have assumed the position indicated in FIG. 2. Approximately at this time of the operation cycle, the unwinder (not shown) decelerates to zero in a Well known manner and motion of the web material 2 coming from the expiring roll ceases. Splice board 9 then contacts the expiring web material in the manner shown. Conduits 21, 22 are now connected to their associated vacuum source serving to hold the web material on both the upper and lower portions of splice board 9. As the boards continue movement, a hydraulically operated knife on board 9 is automatically actuated through any suitable arrangement to cut the end of the expired roll at an angle corresponding to and complementary to that previously cut on the lead end of the full roll on cutting and taping board 16. The lower portion of board 9 is then vented automatically by any known valving means allowing the salvage end of the web material on the expiring roll to drop free in the manner shown. Upon continued movement, boards 8, 9 make contact at their upper ends and continue to drive toward one another, rolling the end of the expired web onto the exposed portion of the pressuresensitive tape. Synchronized movement of boards 8, 9 continues until they are in firm clamping engagement thus bonding the splice. Vacuum is automatically released on all remaining board surfaces and board motion is reversed automatically through any desired expedient to spread arms 5, 6 and return the boards to start position. As soon as the boards are spread clear of the web material line, the web material unwinder mechanism (not shown) once again continues movement of the web material to the desired work station. The expired stock roll spindle may now be rotated to remove the empty spool and to reload with a full roll preparatory to the next splice preparation.

As the arms 5, 6 return to their initial or start position,-

pin members 12, 13 tend to enter into upwardly extending channels 10", 11" due to the geometry of the arrangement. Pin member 12, however, is prevented from doing so because of a blocking element which extends into the upwardly extending channel 10" in the manner shown.

A similar blocking member 26 is associated with upwardly extending channel 11 but is held in a retracted position for a front splice operation thus allowing pin member 13 to enter into upwardly extending channel 11". The positioning of blocking members 25, 26 may be effected through any known expedient, e.g., hydraulic means;

In the above description the operation of the splicer unit has been described for face splicing. When back splices are desired, the action of the two splice boards 8, 9 is reversed by merely causing pin member 12 to ride in upper cam channel 10 and pin member 13 to ride in lower channel 11. This changeover can be made by any suitable switching arrangements. To effect such changeover it is necessary only to draw blocking member 25 into retracted position (thus enabling pin member 12 to enter into upper cam channel 10") and move blocking member 26 outwardly (as viewed in FIG. 1) so that it blocks entrance of pin member 13 into channel 11". As previously stated any known expedient, such as hydraulic means, may be used to position the blocking members. When back splices are desired splice board 9 rotates over as the arms close and splice board 8 becomes the board in which the expiring film and cutting knife will be activated. The respective positions of the expiring roll of web material and the full roll thereof will also be reversed from that assumed for the front splice operation.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that the particular form disclosed has been selected to facilitate explanation of the invention rather than to limit the number of forms which it may assume. Further, it should be understood that various modifications, alterations, and adaptations may be applied to the specific forms described to meet the requirements of practice without in any manner departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for splicing the trailing end of one strip of web material to the leading end of a second strip comprising:

means for guiding said one strip over a predetermined path of movement;

a pair of mounting means adapted to move from a first position and to a second position;

a splice board movably mounted on each of said mounting means;

one of said splice boards being adapted to receive said leading end when said mounting means are in said first position and the other of said splice boards being adapted to receive said trailing end as said mounting means move from said first position to said second position;

said splice boards being brought into pressure engagement to effect a splice between said leading end and said trailing end when said mounting means are in said second position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said splice boards has an element thereon engageable with at least one cam surface to define the path of movement thereof upon movement of said mounting means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said splice boards has a cutting and taping board associated therewith for the preparation of the leading end of said second strip prior to the splicing operation, one of said cutting and taping boards being utilized prior to a front splice operation and the other of said cutting and taping boards being utilized prior to a back splice operation,

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said elements are selectively engageable with a plurality of cam surfaces whereby the path of movement of said splice boards may be modified to effect either a front splice or a back splice.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a pair of opposed arms each having a free end and a pivot end, the pivot ends thereof being mounted to pivot about a common fixed axis and wherein a splice board is pivotally mounted on the free end of each of said arms.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,035,787 5/1962 Kihachiro et al 24258.4 3,298,890 1/1967 Hellemans 156505 DOUGLAS J. DRUMMOND, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24258.4 

